3 things you need to know about job applicants

July 2, 2008 by
Filed under: Applicant tracking systems, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views 

Applicant tracking systems can help Human Resources folks get the most out of their recruiting efforts and streamline the hiring process. But not if they aren’t tracking the right data.

Here are three key pieces of information to make sure your ATS gives you:

  1. Candidates’ decision-making criteria. You need to know what’s convincing people to start looking for new jobs. In the online application, ask something like: “What criteria will you use to help you decide on your next career move?” That will not only help you get info about specific candidates, but also what the workforce in general is looking for right now — which is valuable knowledge for your recruiting program.
  2. Who helps them make decisions. Everyone asks for advice before changing jobs. If you know who they’re asking, you’ll have a better idea of how to sell the job to a candidate who’s on the fence.
  3. How they really heard about the job. Most candidates go through several sources of info before they complete an application (they see an ad on a job board, then Google your company’s name, etc.). So asking them to self-identify what clued them in isn’t the best way to track that data. Some tracking systems do it automatically by keeping tabs on the Web pages candidates came from when they got to the application page.

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Comments

One Comment on 3 things you need to know about job applicants

  1. Benjamin Curtis on Wed, 2nd Jul 2008 6:17 pm

    2. Item #3, tracking where candidates learned about your job, is so important for saving money and time by sourcing the most effective places. In fact, it’s a primary reason I built Catch the Best (http://catchthebest.com/). Catch the Best gives you accurate source tracking by having unique web and email addresses for every source you use. It’s automatic, accurate, and very helpful for knowing whether Craigslist or Monster is sending you the best candidates.